


Scratch the Surface

by wonderfulchaos



Series: Kuro's Subclass [1]
Category: Servamp (Anime & Manga)
Genre: 500themes, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Major Character Injury, theme - enfold your heart in mine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-28
Updated: 2016-11-28
Packaged: 2018-09-02 18:53:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8679415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wonderfulchaos/pseuds/wonderfulchaos
Summary: A boy picked up a cat. An unlucky black cat. And that cat would be the death of him.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Yet another Subclass!Mahiru AU. But this time for Sloth! Still working on many, many other stories, but it'll take time. So until next time~

Humans were the worse. They did what they wanted, regardless of what the other party wanted. It was like they all lived in their own little bubbles; so what was wrong with a vampire doing the same? _Ah, I'm so hungry_ , Ash thought, raising a paw and placing it over his nose to block the pleasant scent of food in the air. He had followed it to a busy shopping district despite the sun being out. When the light faded, he'd grab some food for sure.

For now, a nap sounded nice and he curled up behind a trash can to block out the other pleasant scent in the air. The scent of blood. He didn't want anything to do with that. After seeing too much of it in his annoyingly long life, he didn't wish to touch a drop of it again.

"Ah," he heard a human call out, too close for comfort, "are you lost?" As he feared, he had been spotted. So he gave a pitiful meow and hoped the human would take one look at him and decide it wasn't worth the trouble. To his chagrin, the human was a determined youth. Ash was scooped up into warm hands as the human checked him over. "I don't see a collar. And I can't just leave you here ..."

Having reached a conclusion, the young man nodded and decided, "You can come home with me. Simple."

It wasn't that simple, though. To name a few reasons why this was a terrible idea: this human was way too stupidly honest. Getting involved with a vampire was going to _destroy_ him. Another, he was the type that Ash couldn't stand. The pointlessly helpful kind. Plus, the kid was so warm, too warm. A temptation that he wanted to sink his teeth into and lose all sense of reality amidst.

He couldn't deal with it, but he didn't have the energy to struggle either. At least he would get some food out of this; he would make sure of it. The human kind, of course. It'd be too much of a pain to give into his other instincts.

Lulled to sleep in the human's arms, he woke up to the sound of a door opening and a boy voicing an _I'm home_ to an empty apartment. There weren't any other humans in the rooms within; he would have been able to tell. It was a small mercy that he didn't have to put with anyone else, but then again, it also meant he was all alone with this oblivious human. It would have been so easy to bleed him dry and hide the body. It was a good thing he wasn't into that sort of stuff. Too much trouble.

The human had scampered off soon after putting Ash down and locking the door, but then the kid was jingling a bell as he returned, a stupid grin on his face. It made him rethink the other scenario, especially when the human named him. _Kuro_. It wasn't a bad name. Kind of cute even, given his form right now as a black cat. But it was the fact that he had been named at all that caused his fur to bristle and his nose to wrinkle. It meant an attachment and Ash would rather be dead than attached to anyone else.

Still, he had a comfy place to sleep for the night, so he'd leave in the morning. It wasn't like this was going to be a full-time commitment; he wasn't anyone's pet.

* * *

"All right, Kuro, I'm off to school," the young man told him as he scratched behind Ash's ears. He let the human do so, just this once, because it felt kind of nice. "Be good while I'm away."

Sure, after he had raided the cabinets for food. He would be long gone before the kid even thought to look for him. So he purred and rubbed up against the human's hand. _Sucker._ He didn't move from his place in front of the door, tail swishing back and forth, until he no longer heard the sound of footsteps. Then, he pawed at the curtains to ensure they were properly closed. Sunlight had peeked through, and he couldn't have that.

Once he was content that there wasn't any light sneaking in, he turned back into his very human form, irony at its best, and grabbed the remote for the TV. There was a drama he wanted to catch up on, because even vampires wanted to stay up-to-date on the latest pop culture. They had to, if they wanted to blend in.

It also didn't hurt that it was a nice distraction. Humans might be the worse, but they came up with some creative ways to waste time.

When there was a commercial break, he went to explore the kitchen. Some snacks, some instant ramen, and a sorry excuse for a bottle of milk greeted him. The kid either needed to go shopping or he was poorer than he looked and had absolutely no right to be picking up strays.

He put the kettle on for the ramen and settled back on the floor, stretching out, to watch the end of his program. It would serve the kid right if he ate all his food, though. _What kind of responsible person takes a cat home and doesn't even have fish or meat in the fridge?_ He needed to have stern talk with that sack of bones. Skinny and not that tall, the kid looked like a good strong wind could blow him over.

By the time the show's credits were rolling across the screen, Ash realized something that would have made his heart stop if it hadn't ceased doing so a long time ago. He had been thinking of nothing but that kid since he left. It wasn't like the human was a looker, kind of plain with choppy brown hair and dark eyes to match. It couldn't be a physical attraction, if he could even remember how that sort of thing felt. Instead, it was a different, more foreboding emotion. He blamed it on the kid giving him a name. That had to be it.

A high-pitched whistle from the direction of the kitchen had him covering up his ears. Then, dragging his every step, he made his way toward the source of the noise and clicked off the burner. It didn't pay to have abnormal senses, he didn't care what humans said. To make matters worse those disturbing thoughts weren't subsiding; he wanted to, for some awful reason, talk with the human who had picked him up.

This realization nearly made him lose his appetite. Nearly, because he was starving too much to care by the time his ramen was done. Not to mention, those thoughts were probably hallucinations from being hungry. It only made sense to eat and banish them to the depths of his mind where they belonged.

The problem with that was, the depths of his mind had a nasty habit of talking back to him. _"Scaredy cat. There's a chance for you to drink blood, and from a willing candidate no less. You're going to snub your nose up at it?"_

"Yes," he said, "because I don't need it." _Giving to a sinner is no better than giving to a saint_ , mused Ash, aware the thing in his mind could hear him. "Get lost."

His mind went blissfully blank as he finished up the ramen and moved back to the other room. There was a portable console on the table, so he snatched that up too and plopped down in front of the TV, playing a game while the lights from the show flickered across his face. He felt like he wasn't quite real in that moment and it was strangely satisfying.

* * *

It didn't last. Peace never did.

It ended with the rattling of a door knob as someone unlocked the front entrance. He had a moment, a fleeting one, where he considered staying like he was: cross-legged on the floor and all too human looking, slurping up what was left of the boy's ramen and enjoying a new show that had just started to air. The moment passed and he reluctantly set the bowl aside, switching to his cat form as he sauntered out to welcome the human home.

Meowing, he rubbed up against the human's leg and then darted out the door while it was open. It was time to leave while he still had the chance; if he stayed, he didn't know what would happen. Not to him, not to that human, and it wasn't a risk worth taking.

The sound of bags hitting the floor and the squeak of shoes made him fold back his ears in alarm. He quickened his pace. This human was persistent, so he had expected to be followed, but he didn't think the boy would be able to catch up to him. Ash, in a reckless bid for freedom, took a flying leap and let out a yelp when the even more reckless human grabbed him mid-air. They teetered there on the railing on the stairs, the boy crouched on the bar, barely balanced with his arms outstretched.

As he thought, he couldn't deal with a kid like this; and in retaliation, he scratched the human's hand. The kid flinched and lost his balance, taking Ash with him as he fell, cradling what he thought was his pet cat to his chest. Protective and meaningless all at once. "Ow, ow, ow," the human let out in a steady stream, hugging Ash closer. "You shouldn't run off like that, Kuro. What if you got hurt?"

 _Oh, like you?_ thought Ash, rolling his eyes while the human wasn't looking. _You should worry more about yourself._ Acting the part of dutiful cat, he gave a pitiful meow and attempted to wiggle out of the kid's arms, but it was a deadlock. He wasn't going anywhere.

When the kid finally got over the pain from his landing, he picked up Ash by the scruff of his neck, dangling him there. He flicked the bell adorning the cat's neck with his free hand and told him, "See that? It means you have a home now. No more running off." He paused and glanced about, seeming to come to a conclusion of, "But if you really want to go for walks, I guess I can put together a leash or something ..."

That was not what Ash wanted, that had to be animal abuse. _What kind of monster walks a cat?_ He didn't need the exercise, anyway; not unless it involved lifting up a remote and changing the channel. So he whined and pawed at the kid's chest, careful to keep the claws tucked away this time.

"You like that idea?" The human smiled, pure sunshine, and just _great_. He was going to have to live with those megawatt smiles for who knew how long, and they were beginning to rival the sun itself on the list of things he'd rather avoid. Followed closely by going for long walks for no other reason than 'because everyone needs exercise'. It was nonsense; he hadn't exercised a day in his life, he wasn't about to start now.

The human didn't seem to have an ability to read minds, so Ash's chant of, _Put me down. Put me down now_ , went unheard as they wandered back inside. With his escape cut off, Ash drooped and hung from the kid's hands in lifeless resignation. The kid even kept a hold of him while he searched for a leash, tucking Ash under one of his arms to free up his hands. "You're not going anywhere without me," the human insisted.

 _This is going to be a pain_ , Ash replied. Then, trying to distract the boy from his current objective, he gave a sleep kitty yawn and stretched out his front paws. The human did glance at him, a fleeting smile of fondness, but it didn't last long. The boy's search had paid off and there was a length of rope in his hands now. Ash didn't want to know why he had rope laying around the house.

"Let's go for that walk," and so saying, he tied the rope to the bell adorned collar and Ash was officially domesticated. Everyone and their stinky dog was going to see him like this, reduced to some pet. Though, it could have been worse than it was, he remembered thinking at the time, as they left to explore the neighborhood. It could have been a whole lot worse.

So of course, it became the worst.

* * *

By the time they arrived back home later that evening, Ash was ready for a bath. His fur felt grimy, matted with dirt and other things he would leave to the imagination. His legs hurt from the torture the human had put him through. And after that bath, he wanted nothing more than to sleep for another century. Undisturbed, if possible.

At least the human had picked him up as they climbed the stairs, tucking him into a warm jacket and zipping it up before the boy started fumbling with the lock. "Let's eat dinner and then we can take a bath together," decided the human as they stepped through the entrance together. The boy toed off his shoes and lifted the bags from earlier, checking through them as he headed for the kitchen. "Hmm, good. Looks like nothing spoiled."

Ash let his ears flick back in askance. That meant no meat. No meat meant a disgruntled kitty.

The human must have picked up on that, because he laughed softly and patted Ash on the head. "Don't worry," he said. "I have something special for you." Unzipping his jacket at last, he put Ash back on the ground and turned to one of the bags he had placed on the counter. After rummaging around, he pulled out a can that read, _Divine Feast_ , and then opened up a drawer to retrieve a can opener.

Once the abomination was placed in front of him, Ash turned up his nose at it. The smell alone was enough to make his stomach turn. He trotted out into the living room instead, and then he froze at what he saw there. There, where the window should have been, was an empty space, the curtain fluttering in the wind. Glass everywhere, a certain intent screaming, _Someone was here, looking for me._ It could have meant anything; he had siblings who could be annoying on a good day, and an utter pain on a bad one, but he had never known any of them to break windows to see him. No one was that eager for presence.

"Kuro, you can't be picky -" The human's breath hitched and Ash turned to watch his reaction, tail swishing back and forth. "Oh no, that's dangerous. Kuro, come here!"

Into the boy's awaiting arms he jumped, snuggling back into the jacket the human was wearing as he was hurried away from the sight. The human took out a phone from his pocket, tapping a name and bringing the speaker to his ear. "Uncle, I think someone tried to break in ..." There was a muffled response that Ash didn't try to hear, folding his ears back against his head as he listened for anything out of place in the apartment. "Yeah, I ... I will. I'll check with my friends and see if I can stay with one of them for tonight. Will you be home tomorrow?" A sliver of disappointment appeared on the boy's face. "And you're sure I shouldn't contact the police? Right, yeah. I understand."

The boy pressed the end call button and sighed. "Stupid Uncle." Ash couldn't agree more, what kind of adult left a kid alone like this? "He means well, but ..." _You shouldn't have to be alone._ Ash startled at his own thoughts, the fur on his tail puffing up. The kid noticed and became distracted. "Something wrong, Kuro?" He looked around him warily. "Yeah, I guess we should get out of here, huh." 

* * *

Halfway down the street, the boy took out his phone again, shifting his overnight bag behind him and tightening his hold on Kuro's makeshift leash. "Still have to figure out where we're going to go for the night." He didn't glance up as he fiddled with his phone, but his knuckles had gone white from where they gripped the phone and leash.

 _Being out at night alone with no plan, what is your uncle teaching you about self-preservation?_ It was a miracle the kid was as guileless as he was, and it was going to be a pain if he had to protect someone like that.

The faint sound of ringing had him glancing back at his companion; the boy was hunched over his phone, brow winkled in worry. Someone answered on the other end soon after, calling a cheerful, "Hello, hello~! It's rare for you to call out of the blue like this, Mahiru. Something wrong?" The kid at least had some observant friends.

"Someone broke into my apartment."

There was silence, and then a low whistle. "Woah, woah. You've got some kind of stalker?"

"I don't know," the boy shrugged. "It was probably a thief. But anyway, can I crash at your place? I ... don't think I can sleep there. Uncle Tooru was really worried."

"He should be!" insisted the person on the phone. "Did you contact the police?" It seemed more formality than a bid to have the boy call in the authorities.

"No," replied the boy, sheepish. He ran a hand over the lower half of his face. "I have school tomorrow, and since nothing was stolen ..."

"Mahiru," the other person spoke with sudden resolve, "where are you? I'll come get you."

The boy gave his friend their current location and they promised to meet up in front of the shopping district nearby, hanging up on a last cry of, "Watch out for vampires, Mahiru! Maybe one was trying to steal your blood!"

As unlikely as that sounded, Ash couldn't dismiss the possibility. There had been reports of a serial killer lately, the news remarking on the same thing: The victims had been drained of every last drop of their blood.

He pawed at Mahiru's leg until the boy gave in and scooped him up. "Scared?" wondered Mahiru. "Don't worry, Kuro. I'll keep you safe. And Sakuya will be here soon. I think you're going to like him."

Ash reserved judgement for when he met the person, snuggling into the human's arms as they made their way to the meet-up point. _Cozy_ , he thought, propping his chin up on one of the arms. He blinked lazily, wanting to sleep but knowing it would be impossible. He had his guard up, anticipating a fight. Still, he could get used to quiet moments like this, when the boy was preoccupied and not talking for a change.

Just as he started to think it would be okay to doze off for a bit, he was jostled out of his daze as something collided with the human and squashed him in the middle. He hissed and clawed at the intrusion immediately, only to realize it was another human trapping them in a hug. He had also drawn blood, and it made his nose crinkle. It smelt awful. He used his paws to drown out the odor, burrowing back into the safety of Mahiru's hold.

"Oh? You got a pet?" the other human asked, a large grin painted on his face. "Aww, doesn't seem to like me much, does he?" Raising his hand to his cheek, the human, Sakuya, fingered the scratches there. "Well, it'll heal. No big deal." With too much force, the green haired youth patted Ash on the head. The cat in him growled, preferring Mahiru's gentle touches. "Come on, let's get out of here."

"I don't think I've ever been to your place before," Mahiru commented, rubbing at his head. "Is it far?"

Sakuya tugged free the overnight bag and slung it over his own head, waving the question off. "You'll see," he answered, already ten steps ahead of them. "You'll like it, Mahiru. If you want, you can stay forever!"

Something in the statement made Ash hiss again. He had begun to tolerate Mahiru, but this joker was grating on his nerves - and they had barely been acquainted for five minutes.

"What's wrong, kitty?" crooned Sakuya. "We're going to have a _paw_ sitively good time!"

Mahiru groaned and placed his hand over his face again, peeking between his fingers with a grimace. "That was awful, please don't say that again."

An embarrassed flush flooded the other human's cheeks and the quiet returned until they got on the train. Then, between the chatter of other people, Mahiru struck up small talk with his friend. His comments were offhand and lacking something, an underlying tension there, but the moment Sakuya wrapped his arm around the other boy's shoulders, regaling him with far-fetched stories, it seemed to drain away.

In the back of Ash's mind, a darkness uncoiled and taunted, _"You'll lose this too. Like you lose everything else."_ It was why he couldn't bring himself to care about things. About humans, about anyone that dared to name him, and definitely about Mahiru. Too much trouble. _What's the point?_ he wondered. _Isn't that just how it is?_ The dark something answered, _"But you can have this, if you try."_   That would have made him laugh, if he wasn't so tired.

* * *

Ash woke up nestled in Mahiru's jacket. Stretching out his small cat body, he let loose his claws and dug them into the fabric, fluffing up where he was going to lay back down. It was quiet again, but the stillness unsettled him. He glanced around and pawed at his eyes when he couldn't spot Mahiru immediately. The room felt empty, unlived in, despite the bed and usual trinkets that teenage boys had laying around. It didn't seem like a permanent home, not like Mahiru's place.

Springing to his feet, he wandered to the door. It was partially open and he could see out into the main part of the house. Sakuya was sitting on the couch with Mahiru's head in his lap, running his fingers through short brown hair. Mahiru must have fallen asleep, the slow rise and fall of his chest attested to a deep, undisturbed sleep.

He pushed open the door the rest of the way and ambled over to the couch, crouching down to prep for a jump. Sakuya caught him by the nape of his neck before he could and tossed him aside, tsking. "Get lost, cat." Then, with a malicious smile that gleamed, he told him, "I know what you are, and so does my Master. If you don't want to be destroyed, then _leave_." The boy ran his tongue over pointed canines, which dripped with blood.

In horror, Ash dropped his gaze back to Mahiru. More specifically, his neck. Twin puncture marks were there, still bleeding, on the side he couldn't see from the door. And the smell, it had been masked by that stench from before, the reek of a Subclass. Leftover goods, like that awful cat food.

Dropping the cute cat act, he snarled, "Give him back." His fur puffed out, making him look bigger, and he could feel the darkness in his mind come alive, waiting, longing for something to fill the emptiness.

"You're misunderstanding something," tutted the Subclass, wagging a finger. "You seem to think Mahiru is yours." The boy's red eyes narrowed, his smile sharpening to a dangerous edge, "You couldn't be more wrong." Gently, he nudged Mahiru aside, easing him back on the couch with careful consideration. But if he cared so much, Ash wondered why he hadn't stopped the bleeding.

Taking off a white jacket, freckled with blood, Sakuya tossed it aside. As if surrendering, he held up his arms. "As you can see, I'm harmless. A poor defenseless Subclass. But," and that _but_ was to be expected, it would have been too easy otherwise, "my Master will be meeting us shortly. This is your last chance, Sleepy Ash. Leave."

In return, Ash cast aside his cat form and stepped forward, human in looks and slouched in posture, tugging up the hood of his coat to hide the ominous glow of his eyes. "Ah, this is a pain ..." He released a breath and then bared his fangs. "My name is Kuro, and you will return that annoying brat."

There was a jingle of chains, the Subclass brushing his fingers against the ones attached to his pants, and then the sound of an engine revving. _Defenseless?_ mused Ash - no, he was Kuro now, he would go by that name. _This kid isn't defenseless at all._ He jumped back at the first swing of the chainsaw, landing nimbly on the mantle of the fireplace and scattering picture frames in the process. The scenes inside were of a happy family, but the smiles were so forced that Kuro had to stop looking at them if he didn't want to be sick.

The calculated and varied swings of the chainsaw weren't anything in comparison to Kuro's natural instincts, whispers of black telling where he needed to move. He could have dodged all night if he needed to, but at this rate, Mahiru would bleed to death. And this kid's 'Master', he didn't want to meet the guy. Something told him they wouldn't along.

Lunging toward the couch, he caught the chainsaw aimed at his back and he shielded Mahiru with the rest of his body. "Ah, watch it," he chided, "if you hurt Mahiru, I can't promise I'll go easy on you."

"Don't lie!" the Subclass howled, pushing down on the handle grip. The blades spun faster, cutting into Kuro's skin. It stung as it took root, ripping off his flesh, but he held on. If he slipped here, he would regret something once more. Again and again, until there was no end in sight.

"I'm not lying," he spoke, unwavering in that one thing. "So get out of my _face_." He kicked out, knocking the kid off balance. In that moment's distraction, he smuggled Mahiru away, cradling him close in imiation of the human's own kindness.

They didn't get far before someone intercepted them. It wasn't a Subclass sitting there, swinging his legs on the balcony. Kuro slowed to a halt before he stepped out there. From here, he could see they were pretty high up. A hotel, an apartment complex; this was about to go horribly wrong and he was being optimistic about it.

The stranger on the balancy tilted his head toward Kuro, the sleeve of his robe hiding his lips and emphazing the piercing red of his eyes. "Say, tell me story," ordered the newcomer. "Tell me the most interesting story you know."

Kuro wasn't the one to reply. With the abrupt ceasing of an engine, Sakuya bit out, "Find your own stories."

"Hmm," in a flash, the stranger was in front of Kuro and the human he carried, the click of geta hitting floor, "I guess I'll start here, then."

Hissing, Kuro leapt back, right into Sakuya's awaiting grip. The cold touch of a knife sidled up against his throat. "One wrong move," promised Sakuya.

He wasn't going to risk hurting Mahiru in the crossfire, so he held tight to the boy and tuned out the steady drip of blood hitting the ground. "What do you want with me?" he questioned, directing his words to the stranger. "You could have waited, can't deal with you overeager types."

"Big brother," gasped the stranger, "you don't have to be so _mean_. I just have a few questions for you. Ahh, this would have been much more fun if," his gaze swept over Mahiru, "Belkia had been able to capture you without any outside interference. But Sakuya's such a good boy! He let me know as soon as he found you. It's wonderful, isn't it? To have family you can rely on."

The blade at his throat dug deeper as Kuro rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "Whatever you say. Can't we do this later?" He was afraid to place his own bloody hands against Mahiru's wounded neck. It would taint him. "This guy's going to die, if we don't do something."

Uncermonious laughter broke out, the stranger clutching at his stomach. "AhahaHAHA, look at this! Sleepy Ash of Sloth has found _motivation_. Did you hear that, Sakuya? He wants to take care of your beloved in your place."

"Who," came the crackle of a voice that none of them had been expecting, "the _hell_ bit me?" Followed by a wildly aimed punch, heading straight for the guy who was still laughing. It didn't connect. The laughter had ceased and the stranger had grasped onto the boy's fist, yanking him out of Kuro's hold.

"It wasn't me," he told Mahiru, spinning the human on the spot and placing his fingers beneath the boy's chin, directing his gaze where it needed to be. "That was your dear Sakuya's doing, if I had to guess." Then, from behind, he took advantage of the angle and lapped up the blood offered to him on a silver platter. He wiped off his mouth afterwards and tossed the human aside, discarding him like an empty soda can. "I've had better."

The shadows on the floor lashed out, spikes of black striking at the strange man to free up Kuro's hands, preferring to have Mahiru safely in reach as he held him up. _I'll make him my Eve, then we can get out of here. He'll heal faster that way, too ... ugh, what a pain._ "Call me by my name!" instructed Kuro, taking stock of where Sakuya had run off to, where they were in relation to the other vampires. The darkness he so hated was keeping them at bay for now; it would buy them time. "Call it!"

"I don't kno -" Mahiru must have seen the bell, because he cut short there and wondered, "Are you -"

"Don't say it!" Sakuya shouted over him. "It's a trick!"

"Yes, we can't have that," added the stranger, his sunglasses slipping down his nose as he giggled. "Ah," he stopped on a sigh, "so boring."

Before anyone could begin to figure out what was so boring about any of it, a sword was plunged straight through Mahiru's heart, scratching Kuro's face on the way down. The human's shocked brown eyes were blown wide, a gasp of air choked in his throat, his fingers clawing at the sword weakly. Then the light in those eyes dimmed, the air never found purchase in his lungs, and his fingers drooped lifelessly to his side. _"He's dying,"_ the darkness of a stitched up black cat told him in his mind. _"He's dying and you can save him. You know how."_

 _But does he want to live?_ Kuro asked over and over again. _Does he want to live that badly? I can't deal with things like this ..._

From where he was slumped over, Mahiru made one last sound, a silent plea. Kuro took it as an answer and licked his own blood off his hand. If he was going to regret anything, he would rather regret saving someone's life. He wasn't going to let him die. With his blood smeared on his lips, he pushed forward and placed his mouth to Mahiru's neck, encouraging the blood of Sloth into the mark. Direct contact. Contamination. The boy's body shuttered and shut down. With nothing left to lose, he pulled the sword from the human - no, the boy would be his Subclass. His very first. _Ah, his blood tasted really good._

He licked his lips and pointed the blade at the strange man who had started laughing once more. "You touch him again and I will _destroy_ you."

"So cool! Big brother's so cool!" crowed the stranger. He wiped tears out of his eyes. "I think we'll end this chapter here today, but we'll meet again soon. Big brother, please do take care. I wouldn't want something unfortunate to happen to your new Subclass. Come along, Sakuya. You might die if you don't do something about that bloodlust of yours."

Kuro _tch_ ed at the interruption to his plans. He had wanted to get rid of the green haired nuisance before anything else; but if they wanted to retreat, that was less work and he welcomed it, pitching aside the sword with the same care the stranger had discarded Mahiru with. _A little brother, is it? Jeez, not another one._ "I'd rather never see you again," admitted Kuro.

"Too bad," the man said, waving goodbye. "We still have to talk, remember? I can't wait. Bring your little Subclass, too; we'll make it a party!"

With a snarl, Kuro went to correct him - he would never endanger one of his own like that - but the man and Mahiru's friend had disappeared. Going after them didn't even cross his mind. He crouched beside Mahiru and waited. He would wait as long as it took. He wasn't going to leave him alone. Not now.


End file.
